Abuja, May 17. Armed gunmen have kidnapped more than 45 school children in Oyo area of Nigeria. This extremely shocking incident was carried out through a coordinated attack in broad daylight on three separate schools. The attackers targeted during morning classes in Orire local government area, local newspaper ‘Punch’ reported. They attacked three primary schools located in Yavota. The attackers, who came riding on motorcycles, opened fire indiscriminately and took the children hostage and fled into the nearby forested areas.
As soon as information about the incident was received, security forces sealed possible routes around the Old Oyo National Park Axis and started a massive search operation. This incident happened on Friday morning. A teacher told local media that the attackers were young men wearing military uniforms and masks. Teacher Elizabeth Olagoke said, “The terrorists arrived around 8 a.m., when the morning session had already started. They came on six motorcycles with two occupants on each bike. They were shouting in Yoruba, Hausa and pidgin English before opening fire indiscriminately, causing panic everywhere.”
So far three suspects have been detained in this connection. After this incident, crying parents and local residents across the state are demanding immediate strict action from the government. Dealing with these armed criminal groups remains a major challenge for the Nigerian government. These gangs have established their bases in the dense forests of states like Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger. From here, these groups raid the surrounding residential areas, loot cattle and property and commit crimes like murder of local citizens and kidnapping for ransom.
Till Sunday, the administration had not officially confirmed the exact number of abducted children, but the operation of security agencies is continuing. This incident of kidnapping of school children has come to light at the same time when Nigeria and America have claimed to have killed a top leader of the dreaded terrorist organization Islamic State in a joint military operation. US President Donald Trump had described the slain terrorist Abu-Bilal al-Minuqi as the “second-in-command of ISIS globally” and “the most active terrorist in the world”.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu responded by saying that the two countries had delivered a “dealing blow to IS by launching a bold joint operation.” Al‑Minuqi, designated a global terrorist by Washington in 2023, was killed along with several of his associates in an attack on his hideout in the Lake Chad Basin (a swampy area bordering Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon).
According to the army spokesperson, intelligence inputs had revealed that Minucci had maintained a strong fort in the Metele area of Borno State. It is noteworthy that the focus of IS has changed in recent years and about 90 percent of its attacks are now taking place in Sub-Saharan Africa, in which its Nigerian branch is most active.
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